Why Is The Lead Up For Tupac’s Biopic ‘All Eyez On Me’ Defined By Embarrassing Bickering?

Recently, actor Mickey Rourke used TMZ to tell DJ Funkmaster Flex and anyone who talks down on rap icon Tupac to “come look him up” for a fight. Critics have long said that the adversarial “rap beef” climate feels as contrived as wrestling; leave it up to an actor who starred as a wrestler in a film to reinforce that theory. He’s the latest former friend of Tupac to defend the slain rapper against posthumous barbs from the likes of Flex and LA-based music manager Wack100.

Neither of those men had much to say about Tupac this time last year, but as we near the debut of his All Eyez On Me biopic, out on June 19, Funkmaster Flex was compelled to do tearful Instagram livestreams calling him a liar. Wack, whose previous claim to fame was punching Miami rapper Stitches, is dissing the MC — and Afeni Shakur — at every turn despite managing rapper Game, who has always held reverence for Tupac.

Their exploits are further depraved when you consider that both of these men have affiliations with eOne Entertainment, the company that is distributing the All Eyez On Me movie through Summit Entertainment, and that also controls the Death Row Records catalog. Wack recently credited himself with getting the film permission to use Tupac’s music with a phone call to eOne. He also recently claimed to have “executive producer rights” over the music — which presumably includes Tupac’s catalog. Is the onslaught of criticism some form of twisted, reverse-psychology marketing?

At least Troy Ave and Boosie made no illusions about their intentions with albums respectively titled Nupac and Boopac. The Tupac Assassination movie series recently released yet another documentary which they claim has the answer for what happened between September ’96 and March ’97, when both Tupac and Biggie died. That movie’s creators are currently at odds with the creators of the Murder Rap documentary because both sides feel they have the right death theory… until the next one pops up.